Adaptive Leadership: Leadership Theory or Theoretical Derivative?

Abstract

Today’s public and private business leaders and leaders of our Armed Forces are faced withchallenges that require leadership that is capable of tackling and solving complex problems andissues, with collective, collaborative, timely effective, and innovative solutions. This set of challengesrequires leadership that spans the spectrum of leadership theories, traits, and stylistic approaches thatis very adaptive, yet direct in nature. This type of leadership is defined as ‘adaptive leadership’ and is astyle of leadership that is developing into a new theory of its own, evolving from situational,transformational, contingency, and complexity theories, as described by Nastanski, (2002), beingfurther refined by leadership theorists such as Heifetz (2004), Yukl,(2002) and Lepsinger (2006), andBennis (2003), who are pioneering adaptive leadership approaches into the practicality of today’sworkplace. A recent study conducted, entitled: "Adaptive Leadership: Leadership Theory or TheoreticalDerivative" analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated the legitimacy of adaptive leadership as a leadershiptheory, and provided conclusive results determining whether or not adaptive leadership is a leadershiptheory or simply a theoretical derivative from other leadership theories such as situational,transactional, transformational, contingency, or complexity theories.